Leander City Council at its Jan. 2 meeting approved an updated parade route for the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on Jan. 20, and heard updated safety precautions in light of recent national incidents that resulted in deaths on New Year’s Day in the United States.

How we got here

At 3:15 a.m. Jan. 1, a man drove a vehicle around a police blockade on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and through a crowd of people celebrating the new year, killing at least 14 people and injuring others. The FBI called the attack an act of terrorism, according to the Associated Press.

Later that morning, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, killing at least one person and hurting others, according to the AP. The explosion is still under investigation, and it’s currently unclear whether it was intentional.

Regarding those events, Greg Olmer, interim Leander parks and recreation director, said, “It’s made us take a deeper dive into current operations and staffing levels.”

The parade route change was initially recommended after a Dec. 18 meeting of the Leander Public Arts and Culture Commission, but Fire Chief Billy Wusterhausen said at the Jan. 2 meeting that security for the event had been tightened in light of the New Year’s Day incidents.

“As we’ve looked at this, and especially in light of the incident over the last couple days, we have identified some areas that we are going to tighten up,” Wusterhausen said. “With any type of event though, you can’t eliminate every possible hazard unless you just cancel the event.”

What you need to know

Leander, in collaboration with the Leander Public Arts and Culture Commission, will honor King on Jan. 20 with a march and celebration. The event will take place at Old Town Park and in the surrounding area, and various streets will be closed to facilitate the commemoration.

Event road closures from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. include:

• North Brushy Street from West Broade Street to West South Street
• West South Street from North Brushy Street to North West Street
• Bagdad Street from West Willis Street to East South Street

Parade road closures from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. include:

• Municipal Way from Camacho Elementary School to South West Drive
• South West Drive from Municipal Way to West Broade Street
• West Broade Street from Hero Way to US 183
• Bagdad Street from West Willis Street to West Broade Street

The event will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and more information can be found on the city’s website.